Glass-Shattering Leaders: Michele Hooper

By: Boris Groysberg and Colleen Ammerman

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Synopsis: Michele Hooper joined the board of the Dayton-Hudson Corporation when she was in her late thirties, becoming the company's youngest director as well as the only woman and the only person of color in the boardroom. Such "firsts" were not unusual for Hooper, who had been tapped to lead the Canadian subsidiary of Baxter International a year earlier, one of very few women moved from a staff to a line role at the company. More board opportunities continued to come Hooper's way, and over time she gained expertise and experience across all aspects of corporate governance, often serving as a lead director or committee chair. Seeing that too few women, and far too few men and and women of color, were breaking into the boardroom, Hooper cofounded the Directors' Council to help companies diversity their boards. Widely acknowledged as a a leader in corporate governance, Hooper dedicated herself to serving as a role model and mentor for Black professionals aspiring to leadership.